Coin detector



W. C. BELLOWS Oct. 6, 1925' COIN DETECTOR Filed Deb. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 6, 1925' 4 w. c. BELLOWS COIN DETECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FILE .5

Filed D. 5, 192

INVENTOR walla" G WITNESSES /9%;/

H9525. A'ILTORINEYS m zc Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER c. BELLOWS, or NEW roux, N. Y.

1 com nsrsc'ron'.

App1ication filed December 3, 1925. ser al No. 753,709.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, WALTER O. Bsnnows, a citizen of. theUnited States of America, and a resident of the city of New York,

borough of Manhattan, in the'county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Coin Detector, ofv

.whichthe following is a full, clear, and ex- -act description.

- This invention pertains to-coin detecting devices and comrehends as an attachment for coin operate machines, a device which initially receives the coins for operating the machine and prior to'theirentranceto the coin operated mechanism whereby to'detect and deflect spurious coins or substitutes.

The invention furthermore functlons in the capacity of a means for casting 'aside articles which if permitted to reach the mechanism would clog and possibly damage the same thereby entailing untold trouble and expense. the machine, while the same is out of order.

The invention specifically contemplates a device ofthe character set forth which functions to cast aside and prevent articles which might clog the. coin operated mechanism from reaching said mechanism and which device further functions to automatically effect the accurate weighing and measuring of the coins or substitutes both as to their diameter and thickness so that those that fail, even to the veriest trifle, to come up to the standard are rejected, deflected and prevented from entering the coin operated mechanism.

' Among the principal objects of the invention, is the, provision of an improved means for measuring. the size of the coin, which means is adjustable to render the same device adapta le for use in connection with machines operable for coins of various 'denominations.

As a further ob'ect the invention resides in the provision 0 buffer elements forming apart of the coin weighing mechanism and cooperating with the counterbalanced-coin receiving and supporting members, in which said counterbalanced members and the buffer elements are ad'ustable.

As a still furt erobjectthe inventj on provides a novel means for guiding the coins through the weighing mechanism so that the pressed. 1

in the removal and repair of in addition to the loss of salesthroug duced.

substitutes which are too heavy or too light are rejected and deflected at various points.

The invention furthermore resides in the provision of a device of the character described which is comparatively simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and install and which is thoroughly reliable and highly 'eflicient in its purpose.

With the above recited and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed-out in the appended claims and illustrated in. the accompany ng drawings, it being understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein, to the full extent indicated by the general meaning of the terms in which the claims are ex- "In the drawings- Figure 1 1s a vertlcal sect onal view vthrough'a device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustratin the position ofparts of the weighing evice when rejecting and deflecting a substitute coin which is too heavy.

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the position of'parts when discharging a coin of the proper size and weight to be presented to the coin operated mechanism. I

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken approximately on the line indicated at H in *i'g. 1. p a

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view" taken approximately on the line indicated at 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. approximately on the line indicated at 66 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line indi: cated at 7-7 in Fig. 3.

6 is a; vertical sectional view taken Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the detecting device includes a housing 10 whichconceals and supports the mechanism and various parts thereof. The housing is provided witha coin slot 11 extendin which the coin is initially intro- At the inner side of the slotted portion a plate 12 is pivoted as at 13 at its upper end so that the same normally swings by gravity to'a position alongside ofcthe through one of its walls and of a coin or substitute is initially gaged sothat the slot defined between the abutment and the lower end of the slotted portion of the plate is a trifle lessthan the diameter of a good coin. It thus follows that when a good coin is inserted through the slot 11 it engages the lower edge of the slotted portion 14 of the plate and the lower edge of the abutment element 17 and swings the plate 12 inwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. A coin or substitute of lesser size than the distance between the lower edge of the abutment element 17 and the lower edge of the slotted portion 14 passes through the slot defined thereby and engages the deflector wing 15 and bottom flange 16 whe're'by'it is projected laterally and received in the upper end of a chute 19 from which point it is conveyed to a suitable receptacle 20 for spurious coins or substitutesl It will also be obvious that articles which might clog the mechanism such as matches, hairpins, nails, keys or the like which pass through the slotted portion 14 of the-plate 12 are also deflected. laterally and into the chute 19; The good coins or substitutes which are suficiently accurate to swing the plate 12 to one side drop into a chute 21 which is of substantially U-shape in cross section and is provided with lat erally inclined walls 22 and 23 connected by a lower wall or bight portion 24. The wall 23 is cut away or recessed out from its upper end and the lower portion defined between the recess and bight is inclined laterally to provide a guide wing 25. --A strip 26 having depending slotted legs 27is attached to the chute 23 for vertical adjustments by means of set screws 28 passing through the slots in the legs 27. The lower edge 29 of the strip defines together with the bight 24 two bearing surfaces upon which a coin of theproper diameter will roll in an inclined position, the coin being induced to this position by the inclined wall 22. It thus, follows that in event that a worm coin or substitute of lesser diameter than a good coinenters the chute 21 the up per portion of the periphery of said worn coin or substitute will not ride on the lower edge-of the strip 26 and will therefore fall laterally against the guide wing 25 'where it will be discharged from the lower open end or mouth which is disposed laterally at stitutes.

one side of the discharge end 'of the chute for the coins of proper diameter. The strip 26 is further provided with an upwardly projecting lug'30 having a laterally ofl'set terminal 31 which is apertured to receive a threaded stem 32 carried by a stationary bracket 33 on. the ,housing. Nuts34 and 35 are threaded onto the stem at opposite sides of the terminal 31 for further maintaining the lower edge 29 of the strip 26 in its adjusted relation. The bight portion 24 of the chute 21 is longitudinally slotted as at 36 in order to permit of the passage therethrough of worn coins or substitutes which are of less thickness than a good coin and disposed below said slotted portion 36 is a guide chute 37 which receives and conveys to an appropriate point the substitutes or badly worn coins. Directly in the path of the lower discharge end of the chute 21. is disposed a substantially U- shaped coin receiving platform 38 which is carried on an arm 39 pivoted or fulcrumed on a transverse shaft 40. Projecting in the opposite direction from the platform 38 is' a weight arm 41 which has mounted therein an adjustable weight element 42 for counterbalancing the platform 38. A buffer element 43 is disposed adja: cent the outer end of the U-shaped platform and is adjustable toward and away from the same by screwing or unscrewing itsthreaded shank 44 in a threaded bearing 45. lVhen a coin of the proper diameter and thickness is discharged from the lower end of the chute 21 it is.received upon the platform 38 and depresses the same, at the same time contacting with the buffer element 43. If the coin or substitute is heavier than :a good coin it will depress the counterbalanced platform 38 and I over-balance the weighted end sufliciently to be discharged downwardlv from the outer end as illustrated in Fig. 2 where it will be received by the receptacle 20 for spurious coins or sub- If on the other hand the coin is a good one or lighter than a good coin the buffer 43 and platform will sufliciently cooperate therewith to prevent a complete depression of the platform 38. The inner side wing 46 of the platform which is inclined laterally will tilt or incline the coin against the outer side wing 47 and the coin will roll in a reverse direction away from the buffer and down the platform 38 guided against the laterally inclined side wing 47. A'second platform 48 carried by an arm 49 pivoted or fulcrumed on the transverse shaft 40 is disposed in a position below the plat form 38 for receiving the coin which is discharged therefrom. The arm 49 is provided with an extension 50 projecting in an opthe platform'48 is a second buffer element 52 which is adjustable toward and away from the outer end of the platform 48 by screwing or unscrewing its threaded shank in a threaded bearing 54. The outer side wing 55 of the platform 48 is provided with an extension 56 constituting a guide and said platform in its normal position is designed to receive the coins or substitutes of a smaller diameter than the good coin which are discharged laterally from the chute 21 where they roll down the platform 48 and are guided by the extension 56 into the receptacle 20. The coins or substitutes which are received from the platform 38 onto the platform 48 cooperate with the platform 48 and the buffer 52. A coin which is lighter than a good coin will not sufficiently depress the platform 48 and will therefore roll "down said platform and be discharged into the receptacle 20. The good coin however will be of sufficient weight to sufiiciently depress the platform 48 to permit of it's dis charge from the outer end into the compartment 57 from which it will be conveyed to the coin operated mechanism.

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that the device initially through the pivoted plate 12 deflects articles which might tend to clog the coin operated mechanism and also at this point deflects and rejects some I of the substitutes which are not of the;

proper size. From this-point the coin is conveyed through the chute 21 to the means for accurately gaging and measuring the diameter and thickness ofthe coin, which means serves to reject and deflect coins or substitutes of smaller diameter and thickness as heretofore explained. From this point the coins or substitutes which are of accurate size both as to diameter and thickness are subjected to the combined action of the counterbalanced weighing platform 38 and buffer element 43, it being heretofore pointed out that coins which are heavier than a good coin are rejected at this point. The buffer elements are of a material which serve to deaden the momentum of the coin rather than to cause an appreciable rebound therefrom and in other words merely serve to arrest the movement of the coin to permit the weighing platforms to properly function. After the coin has been tested as-to its weight or specific gravity by the latform 38 it is discharged onto the plat orm 48 and a coin or substitute which is of lesser weight than a good coin fails to depress the platform 48 sufliciently to be discharged into the compartment 57 and consequently is discharged from the platform 48 into the receptacle 20.

The slot 36 will also be rovided with an adjustable means for regu ating the width of the same and this together with the adi justable abutment element 17, the adjustable strip'26 and the adjustable counter-balanced weighted platforms and buffers will serve to duce a substitute for a good coin in view of the fact that there are no two metals or substances -of the samesize and dimensions which have the same weight or specific grav ity and that therefore substitutes or coins which fail to the veriest trifle will, be rejected before reaching the coin operated mechanism. Furthermore the device takes care of articles which might tend to clog the coin operated mechanism and put the machine out of order b rejecting and defleeting the same at their point of entry.

I claim:

1. A coin detector comprising a casing having a vertical coin receiving slot, a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend to a position contiguous to and alongside the discharge end of the receiving slot and having'a slot therein of slightly less length than the diameter of a good coin whereby a ood coin coacts with the ends of the slot in said plate to swing the plate aside and drop directly downward, a laterally curved deflector blade at one side of the lower end ofthe slot in said plate and a flange at the underside of the deflector blade whereby a spurious coin; a substitute or foreign article smallerthan the diameter of a good coin will pass through the slot in the plate and be deflected laterally by the deflector blade and flange.

2. A coin detector comprising a casing having a vertical coin-receivin slot, a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend-to a position contiguous to and alongside of the discharge end of the receiving slot, said plate having a vertical slot therein of'slightly less length than the diameter of a good coin whereby a ood coin coacts with the ends'of the slot in said plate to swing the same aside and drop directly downward, 'and means at the lower end of said'plate for receiving and defiectin laterally a spurious coin, a substi lUO tute or oreign article, smaller-than the diameter of a good coin, upon its passage' through the slot in said plate. v

3. A coin detector comprlsing a casing having a vertical coin-receiving slot, a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend to a position contiguous to and alongside of the discharge end of the receivin slot, said plate havin a vertical slot thereln of slightly less lengt than the diameter of a good coin whereby a good coin coacts withthe ends. of the slot in said plate to swing the same aside an i drop directly downward, means at thelow'er end of said plate for receiving and detlect- 111g laterally a spurious coin, a substitute or forelgn article, smaller than the diameter I of a good coin, upon its passage through the slot in said plate, and means carried by said plate and adjustable thereon for regulating the length of the slot to render the detecting device capable of use in connection with coins of various denominations and diameters. V

4:. A coin detector comprising a casing having a vertical coin-receiving slot, a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend to a position contiguous to and alongside of the discharge end of the receiving slot, said plate having a vertical slot therein of slightly less length than the diameter of a good coin whereby a good coin coacts with the ends of the slot in said plate to swing the same aside and drop directly downward, means at the lower end of said plate for receiving and deflecting laterally a spurious coin, a substitute or foreign article, smaller than the diameter of a good coin, upon its passage through the slot in said plate, and means carried by said plate and adjustable thereon for regulating the length of the slot to render the detecting device capable of use in connection with coins of Various denominations and diameters,-'said vmeans comprising an abutment element vertically slidable on the plate and "a set screw for retaining the abutment element in vertically adjusted position.

5. In a'coin detector, the combination with a weight-testing mechanism having a chute leading thereto, of a casing having a vert1- cal coin-receiving slot below which the upper inlet end of said chute is directly disposed, a device for initially measuring the diameter ofspurious coins, substitutes or foreign articles of smaller diameter than that of a good coin, and for casting'the same aside to prevent entrance thereof to the chute leading to the weight-testing mechanism, said device comprising a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend to a position contiguous to and alongside the discharge end of the receiving slot, said plate having a slot therein of slightly less length than the diameter of a good coin, whereby a good coin coacts with the ends of the slot in said plate to swing the plate aside and drop directly downward into the upper receiving end of the chute, and means at the lower end of the plate for receiving and deflecting laterally spurious coins, substitutes or foreign articles smaller than the diameter of a good coin, which pass through the slot in said plate whereby the same are prevented from entering the chute.

6. In a coin detector, the combination with a weight-testing mechanism having a chute leading thereto, of a casing having a vertical coin-receiving slot below which the upper inlet end of said chute is directly disposed, a device for initially measuring the diameter of spurious coins, substitutes, or foreign articles of smaller diameter than that of a good coin, and for casting the same aside to prevent entrance thereof to the chute leading to the weight-testing mechanism, said device comprising a plate pivoted at its upper end within the casing to gravitationally depend to a position contiguous to and alongside the discharge end of the receiving slot, said plate having a slot there in of slightly less length than the diameter of a good coin whereby a good coin coacts with the ends of the slot in said plate to swing the plate aside and drop directly downward into the upper receiving end of the chute, means at the lower end of the plate for receiving and deflecting laterally spurious coins, substitutes, or foreign articles smaller than the diameter of a good coin, which pass through the slot in said plate whereby the same are prevented from entering the chute, and a chute within said casing for receiving and conveying off the deflected spurious coins, substitutes or foreign articles.

, WALTER C. BELLOWS. 

